Juicing your way to heart health: Potassium-packed drinks fighting hypertension
Potassium influences blood pressure through its ability to increase sodium excretion from the body. The more potassium we consume, the more sodium — found primarily in processed foods — our body can excrete through urine.
6:10 AM EST, January 14, 2024
Considering that a high sodium diet is a major risk factor for hypertension, it's in our best interest to make potassium our ally.
Furthermore, potassium dilates blood vessels, thus facilitating blood flow and reducing vascular resistance. Both of these benefits contribute to blood pressure reduction.
Food Sources of Potassium
Potassium can be found in numerous food sources, including all types of meat and certain fish (like salmon, cod, sardines, and flounder), dairy products (such as milk and yogurt), nuts, vegetables (broccoli, peas, beans, lentils, potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkin) and fruits (bananas, citrus fruits, plums, apricots, kiwi).
On average, one glass of these juices contains:
- Passionfruit - 687 mg of potassium
- Pomegranate - 533 mg of potassium
- Orange - 496 mg of potassium
- Tangerine - 440 mg of potassium
For comparison, an average banana — a common source of potassium — contains approximately 358 mg of this vital nutrient.
Understanding Hypokalemia: Low Blood Potassium Levels
Potassium is essential for overall health and not just for maintaining normal blood pressure. It boosts the nervous system (a deficiency can lead to fatigue and concentration issues), regulates muscle activity and fluid balance, guards against diabetes and kidney diseases, and supports bone health.
Healthy blood potassium levels should range between 3.5 to 5.5 mmol/l (98 to 154 mEq/L). Below these levels can lead to hypokalemia, which may present symptoms such as muscle weakness, heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure, bloating, acne, chronic fatigue, irritability, and fainting. Therefore, it's of paramount importance to maintain sufficient potassium intake — why not grab a glass of juice!
